Just Imagine
by Warlordess
Summary: Complete. Lloyd had never imagined a time when he wouldn't be able to protect Colette. Colette had never imagined a time when she and Genis would be kissing. Colloyd. Ish.
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer** - Most unfortunately, Tales of Symphonia does not belong to me. Let it be known that if it did, Colloyd would have happened (would have happened _clearly_, I should say) and Sheena would have maintained a somewhat-too-obvious appreciation for handsome, redheaded, hero-worshipped playboys. Or at least one in particular.

**Author** - Chibi

**Notes** - Oh, I should start off by saying that this fic isn't really AU, but it does take place years before the gameplay starts (in which I've heard Lloyd is seventeen, Colette is sixteen, and Genis is twelve years old). I'm trying to mold this into a prelude to a certain side-quest of the game, and if you can figure out what that side-quest is, you get a really big cookie in the flavor of your choice! Lol.

Please read and review honestly, but not too harshly.

OoO

Characters // Ages

Lloyd // 13

Colette // 12

Genis // 8

OoO

**Title** - "Just Imagine"

**Summary** - Lloyd had never imagined a time when he wouldn't be able to protect Colette. Colette had never imagined a time when she and Genis would be kissing. Colloyd. Ish.

**Dedication** - Heh; to Silvie-chan! Because I brainwashed you into buying ToS and supporting Colloyd, too (though it wasn't that hard). And it's all worth it to have someone to talk to about it. Lol.

OoO

Lloyd had always been Colette's fierce protector. It was just how it was. Ever since they'd become friends oh-so many years ago, and ever since Colette had tried to be courageous enough to journey out of the village and visit Lloyd at his home with Dirk, he had been there to pull out his little wooden swords (hand-crafted, of course, and maintained by his father) and fight back any beasts who tried to harm her.

After all, Colette was special, for some reason he didn't completely understand, but that was how the mayor and Professor Raine kept explaining it to him, and so his blonde friend had never been able to escape the chains binding her to Iselia until then. It was after weeks upon weeks of pleading and begging and whining as young children did that everyone - Phaidra the most - agreed it wouldn't hurt to let Colette venture off to Dirk's, as long as someone was able to chaperone her.

And so Dirk told Lloyd to chop down a few branches from the backyard that could be molded and he taught his son how to make weapons, and how to fight to a degree.

All to protect Colette.

The mayor had never been more shocked than the first time he saw a ten year old Lloyd walking into town with his arms outstretched holding those two wooden blades. Professor Raine's only comment was to wonder why Lloyd never tried so hard to succeed in any of her lessons.

Colette's response? A very wide smile in thanks and a hug that threw her best friend to the ground. Finally she could maintain a little freedom; at least, to the degree that she wasn't constantly looked after - to the degree that she could spend some time with her friends without warily watching every step she took for the sake of those who watched her every step for her.

Genis was pretty impressed, too; as impressed as a five year old genius can be, anyway.

. . . But that was three years ago. Three years of successfully protecting Colette from anything that came their way; three years of stumbling and catching and training and enjoying life as much as possible despite all that.

Lloyd had never been able to imagine a time when he wouldn't be able to protect Colette. It just never seemed possible that that kind of thing could happen. Maybe he was just too proud of himself to think about it, or maybe nothing of the sort had ever really crossed his mind - (after all, it wasn't like the Professor was going to come out and say, quite clearly, that there would _definitely _be a time when he wouldn't be able to be Colette's hero) - but it was mostly beside the point, because it had finally happened.

Oh, he had his blades with him; to seem as responsible as possible, he never left them home. But that wasn't the problem now.

The problem was, Colette wasn't breathing.

Swords could do nothing to help that. And so Lloyd was trapped feeling as useless as he had been during that time years ago when he and Colette had begged for weeks and weeks to let her join him outside of the village. It was so horrible feeling the way he did now that it was pretty damned hard for him to breathe, too.

You see, the day started out normal enough for summertime. The skies were clear and blue, the clouds were powdery and thin, and the sun glaring down made the heat almost unbearable. So the three children - Lloyd, Colette, and Genis - as best friends often liked to do, asked if they could go out together; and they asked to visit the watering hole just outside of the village (about one-fourth mile away).

No one was sure, at first, how to tell them that they just couldn't allow Colette to spend the day where no one besides a thirteen year old boy and an eight year old elf just aging into his magic would be there to protect her. They were sure that Genis would understand, because he was Genis and understanding complex things was what he did. He wouldn't be happy about it at all, but they were sure he could manage. Lloyd, on the other hand. . .

. . . They weren't sure they could keep him from running off with Colette just to prove them wrong. Not that the two children would get far with guards stationed at every entrance to the village, but the point was, it was unlikely Lloyd would take it and decipher it the way his youngest friend would.

And, true to theory, when Professor Raine sat down with the three in their sweltering hot classroom (everyone had been dismissed early because it was just too hot to concentrate) and put the adults' thoughts into words, Lloyd jumped into the air.

"I don't get it; why can't we go? Colette will be okay, I'll be there to keep her safe!" He shouted angrily, misunderstanding everyone's overprotectiveness for his friend as a means to say he wasn't good enough to protect her. "I've been doing it right for years now, so you can't say I've got nothing to back me up!"

"Lloyd," the Professor sighed. Why Phaidra had thought such disappointing news would be best coming from _her_, she would never know, "We've said it before; there's something about Colette that we have to ensure and as strong as you are, there's nothing definitive here that states nothing will happen to her while you all are away from Iselia, away from your house, and right outside of the newly accommodated Desian territory."

"But, Professor. . . !" Lloyd tried again, but was interrupted.

"Professor Raine, if adult supervision is the problem, then why don't you come with us? You're smart and strong, and a healer, so if something does happen, we can always depend on you." Colette tried to reason.

"Well, you see, I'd love to, but. . ." The Professor started, physically edging away from them all at the thought of going near any source of water, ". . . unfortunately, I have papers to grade, and that's going to take up the rest of the afternoon. So, see, I'm unavailable."

"Well, how about Phaidra?" Genis asked.

"Meeting at the Church of Martel to discuss. . . er, something. . . with the priests."

"The mayor?" Lloyd bargained.

"Are you kidding? He's way too busy for something like this." Genis replied exasperatedly, "But. . . what about your dad?"

"He mentioned to me that he had a job lined up for someone out of town, so he's gonna be busy until late tonight. . ." Lloyd said, his voice dropping disappointedly towards the end.

Colette, noticing this, couldn't help her response.

"I'm sorry, guys. I know I'm causing you all trouble. If you still want to go, I can just wait here until you get back. Then maybe we can do something at. . . my house? Or Genis'." She smiled at them as if saying it was perfectly okay, but Lloyd wasn't having it.

"You're such a dork when you apologize!" He grinned back. "You're no trouble, definitely not to me! You're my best friend, right?" He turned back to the Professor and stared as solidly into her eyes as was possible. "Look, I know that this is maybe a lost battle, and that you guys are always worried over Colette, but. . . I give you my word that I will keep her safe."

Looking back at him, Raine realized this wasn't coming from the slightly obnoxious and otherwise lazy streak that Lloyd had begun to carry with him over the years of being the main person Colette depended on. This came from a place deeper than that, one where he recognized the need and hope to keep the girl always safe.

As she thought about this more and more, Raine found herself giving in.

". . . Fine."

There was a simultaneous, "whoop," from the three sitting in front of her, and she couldn't help wondering what the consequences were going to be for her allowing this, despite what she'd been told to do and say in regards.

"But I'm putting her in your hands, you two!" She reprimanded, halting the cheering all at once, "You know what Colette means to this village now, and the world, so if something happens, it's on you!"

"Don't worry, Professor; you know you can count on me!" Lloyd stated, jabbing a thumb at his own chest and winking arrogantly.

"So that means, Genis, that you're in charge - the leader - here," their teacher said, ignoring the double-blade wielder.

". . . Hey!" Lloyd shouted, watching as his elven friend nodded to his sister and listened to the rules she laid out for them all, ". . . Oh, well."

"Hey, Lloyd, let's go get ready!" Colette said excitedly, jumping from her seat and grabbing his hand, pulling him out the door into the hall.

"Lloyd doesn't take anything seriously. . ." Genis stated skeptically, watching them go before turning back to face his older sibling.

". . . But it might not be such a bad thing; for right now, at least."

The three children ran home and pulled on their bathing suits before heading out of the village with Raine leading them to the gate. She smiled at the guard stationed there as if to ask him to keep it a secret that Colette was running off with two boys, and he sighed, but nodded.

"You just have to promise to stay safe, and don't do anything you might regret later!" He shouted after them as they took off.

Lloyd, Colette, and Genis rampaged through the pathways where overgrown mosses and branches hung. Acting the gentleman and as a means to keep his best friend under his watchful eye, Lloyd held back the brambles that would otherwise catch her on her bare shoulder.

"Thanks, Lloyd!" She grinned at him as she ran through. Feeling very bubbly inside at the sight of his best friend so happy, Lloyd forgot to hold the branch for Genis, too, and it swung at him, almost striking him in the head.

Luckily, Genis was pretty short, so he was able to avoid it fairly easy. However, it didn't stop him from taking the incident offensively.

Staying on the path and moving quickly and silently prevented the three children from being attacked by random beasts, so they made it to the pool of water without much of a hitch.

Lloyd dropped his pants to reveal boxers (listen to the fangirls scream!), and Genis stared at him.

"Why didn't you just go home and find your swimming trunks?"

"Eh, it would have taken too long. It took us awhile to convince the Professor to let us come here, and just as long to actually make it through Iselia forest, so. . ." He nodded pointedly at Colette, who'd run straight at the water and stopped at the edge to stare excitedly into it.

_And you know how much she's looking forward to this._ He thought to his youngest friend, who seemed to hear him and silently agreed.

". . . Oh, you know what, guys?" Colette turned to stare at them with a hand embarrassedly placed behind her head, "I forgot to say. . . I don't know how to swim!"

On some level, the two boys were exasperated. It was just like their blonde friend to forget something like _that _up until the moment it really mattered. However, it was probably a wonderful thing that she hadn't blurted it out right in front of Professor Raine because, otherwise, they might not have made it. Though, it did make sense. Other than the trips to Lloyd's house, Colette had never even stepped outside of her home village, so where would she have learned how to float or mull water? In her bathtub?

"Well, then we'll just have to teach you." Genis said, running forward and jumping cannonball-style into the water.

Colette watched, fascinated, as he breached the surface and just floated there, taking notice of the way he moved his arms.

"And my feet, too. You use your feet to propel you forward, or up, in this case." He said, noting how she paid attention.

"So. . . you can just float? Just like that?" She asked, pointing at him.

"Yep; oh, but it'll be even easier for you! Girls have a different body type than guys, so floating comes more naturally to them."

"Really? That's good, because it looks sort of hard for you to stay up the way you're doing it. . ." She said, kneeling down and sitting in front of him and edging one of her ankles under the surface.

"Hah! You haven't seen anything yet, Colette!" Lloyd shouted from behind, running at his topmost speed and jumping like a rabbit, higher than what Genis had been able to manage. The splash he made was spread so wide that it even reached Colette outside of the water, over seven meters away.

"Wow, it's cold!" She said, giggling and putting her arms up in front of her head to keep her braided hair dry.

"Awe, what's the point of that? Once you get in here, your hair's going to be soaked anyway!" Lloyd laughed in response, "C'mon, it feels _really _good!" And he started sloshing more water around invitingly with his arms.

"Okay, okay; I get it." Colette reached her feet again, her arms stiffly at her side, took a deep breath so that her cheeks bulged, and leapt.

It was cold, just as it had been before when she'd first felt it, but it was still relieving to be away from the sun that was burning her before. Realizing that she was sort of just wavering there underwater, she started flapping her arms in what seemed to be slow motion from the weight of the water, until she was able to join Lloyd and Genis above her.

"See? S'not that hard!" The burgundy-haired boy said as clearly as possible, swimming at her from his slight distance. Colette could only marvel at his skills as she tried as hard as she could simply to stay afloat.

"I. . . I want to know how to do that! Can you teach me, Lloyd?" She asked innocently, holding her arms out to her sides and swirling them almost helplessly underwater every couple seconds when she felt the water cover her nose. Luckily, the lake floor was just short of her height, so she was able to bounce every once and awhile on the balls of her feet.

"Sure, but it could take you some time to get as skilled at it as I am!" He replied confidently.

"Oh, don't lie, Lloyd. . ." Genis scoffed, flipping over to them, "You know you just learned about a year or so ago, and only because I was there to teach you."

". . . F - feh! Right; like I wouldn't have gotten it on my own, eventually." A pinkish tint grew on the oldes boys cheeks.

It was like that for the rest of the afternoon. The three chlidren whiled away the hours laughing and teaching Colette how to float and move swiftly even though the water slowed it down somewhat, and at last, they were able to play games, too. Things like, "Mithos, Goddess," water tag; they performed a few tricks and raced from shoreline to shoreline until, finally, Genis acknowledged both how tired he was, and the time.

"We should go soon. It's risky to stay here too much longer with Colette, and we're going to be too tired and hungry to fight soon if we run into anything on our way back," he noted, grabbing onto the landfall closest to where they'd left their clothes and hopping out.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. . . Colette?" Lloyd turned and glanced at Colette who was paddling like an animal with her brow furrowed in concentration. "Uhm, yeah, we need to leave soon, okay?"

She stopped for a moment, about eleven meters from the two and waved at them to let them know she'd heard.

"I just want to practice a little while longer! Just one more circling around!" She said, waiting for their consent before continuing on her way.

Lloyd decided that he'd stay in, too, just to watch out for her, and therefore, slowly started following the length of the pool she'd trekked so far.

"I - I think I'm getting the hang of it--!" Colette stated all of a sudden. . . and then she vanished.

Lloyd hoped to Martel that it had been a trick of the lack of light, since it was getting darker and it was always easy to miss something, or be off about it.

"Colette. . . ?" He called out uncertainly, but there was no reply.

And then, just as suddenly as she'd vanished, the top of her head bobbed up to the surface and she gasped a few times, splashing around before disappearing again.

It took Lloyd an extra second to realize that something was obviously wrong, and he sailed after the spot he'd seen her last. Unfortunately, that one minuscule extra second was all it took for Colette to sink far past the lake floor that they'd been residing in, because she hadn't noticed the immediate drop and had not been skilled enough yet to prevent herself from falling.

"C - Colette!" He shouted, diving down, down, deep and blinking his eyes open to catch sight of her as her eyes closed and her fighting ceased. She hadn't been able to take enough air in to keep herself conscious before she'd lost out again, and Lloyd, realizing this, tried to move even faster than he was, though it wasn't really possible.

The only reason he'd really started catching up to her was because her falling had slowed down. . . and she'd begun to rise back up; that could mean nothing good.

He grabbed her by the hand and pulled, yanking her over his shoulder. The exertion of that move was enough for him to lose a bit of the oxygen he'd dared to hold in upon trying to rescue her. And now he had to succeed in the what-seemed-to-be impossible feat of carrying them both to the surface without his arms to help support their weight.

He looked over at her and grew frightened at the ghostly pale look of her skin against the colour of the water. Hopefully that was only due to the comparison of the fading light of the sun flickering off of her face.

. . . But flickering light, no matter how dim, meant only one thing. He was close. His legs were starting to feel stretched to their limits, but he kept pushing and, just before he breached the surface and shouldered Colette to get her as far out of the water as possible, he heard Genis shouting his name.

". . . Lloyd, what's going on? What happened?" He exclaimed, his kendama out and a small Fireball shadowing above it to give off some extra light.

"G - Genis," the brown-haired boy gasped repeatedly, holding Colette's face close to his own and inspecting her to see if she was okay. . . but she remained unmoving. "C'mere; something's wrong!"

Without a second thought, Genis threw his kendama to the forest floor, the fire going out before even touching the grass, and he jumped back into the watering hole, kicking as fast as he could to get to his friends.

"We have to get her to the surface. . . ! I don't know what it is, but she isn't waking up!" Lloyd breathed even harder as Genis shouldered Colette's right side and the two boys worked together to propel them to land.

It was another few minutes before they got there, and throughout that span of time they shook Colette by the arms they were holding and called out to her, but there was no response.

Genis hopped out again first because it was faster and easier for Lloyd to push his best friend up into the air and for the elf to start to pull. The blonde-haired girl toppled onto the grass and rolled over, but she still didn't move. As Lloyd hurriedly leapt out of the water as well, Genis took notice of her slumped back, which would normally be moving softly - up and down - with her intake of air.

". . . Lloyd. . ." Genis sounded scared, and Lloyd hoped beyond anything that it had nothing to do with Colette. Unfortunately, his hopes were in vain. ". . . I d - don't think that. . . she's _breathing_."

And that was where they were currently. Time stood still in that moment with Genis trying to read as much into the situation as possible and Lloyd standing there feeling stupid and hopeless and unable to do anything.

. . . And Colette laying there limply.

OoO

**Notes** - Oh, no; I'm very sure that there's some unscientific something going on there, but I don't want to dwell on it. I'm too proud; I'm finally finished the first chapter of my first ToS and Colloyd fic! Yes! I'm hoping that statements weren't too repetitive grammar-wise. I was kind of. . . out of it during the two days I spent typing this up. . .

And, so no one asks about it; the game I made out of the blue entitled, "Mithos, Goddess," is. . . let's say. . . Sylvarant's variation of, "Marco Polo." Lol.

Forgive me and review - as stated above - honestly.


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer **- Most unfortunately, Tales of Symphonia does not belong to me. Let it be known that if it did, Colloyd would have happened (would have happened _clearly_, I should say) and Sheena would have maintained a somewhat-too-obvious appreciation for handsome, redheaded, hero-worshipped playboys. Or at least one in particular.

**Author **- Chibi

**Notes **- Oh, I should start off by saying that this fic isn't really AU, but it does take place years before the game play starts (in which I've heard Lloyd is seventeen, Colette is sixteen, and Genis is twelve years old). I'm trying to mold this into a prelude to a certain side-quest of the game, and if you can figure out what that side-quest is, you get a really big cookie in the flavor of your choice! Lol.

Please read and review honestly, but not too harshly.

OoO

Characters // Ages

Lloyd // 13

Colette // 12

Genis // 8

OoO

**Title **- "Just Imagine" (- Part Two)

**Summary **- Lloyd had never imagined a time when he wouldn't be able to protect Colette. Colette had never imagined a time when she and Genis would be kissing. Colloyd. Ish.

**Dedication **- Heh; to Silvie-chan! Because I brainwashed you into buying ToS and supporting Colloyd, too (though it wasn't that hard). And it's all worth it to have someone to talk to about it. Lol.

OoO

It was a very strange sensation Colette felt upon waking from what seemed to be a chilled slumber. There was a sudden feeling of her lungs extracting something heavy then inhaling something else far lighter and an almost unreal warmth spreading immediately from her torso to the extended parts of her body. Her nose and fingertips were the last to acknowledge whatever it was and so she felt her hand twitch and her breath hitch in her throat before sailing into a coughing fit.

She thought she heard something as she started moving, something rustling and someone talking in a rushed and waterlogged language she just couldn't understand. She lay there for a few more moments, waiting for her throat to stop itching and her lungs to stop searing with a pain completely foreign to her.

She supposed it might have been a nightmare what with the way she felt and the fact that she was hearing things that seemed to be coming from nowhere.

". . . lette. . . ! Colette! Are you okay now?" Someone was shouting in a desperate tone trying to reach her, ". . . Please open your eyes! I - I need to know you're. . . _okay_. . ."

Wait; she was sure she recognized that voice now. It took her a moment to realize that one of the main reasons she couldn't be positive of her whereabouts would most likely be because, as that oh - so worried person said, she needed to open her eyes. Oh; right.

Lloyd was sitting there listening to Colette's shallow breathing - happy to know that she was indeed breath at all - and holding himself back from jumping her and forcing her to respond to him.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait that much longer because, during another coughing fit in which he'd been paying close attention, he took notice of her eyelashes fluttering.

"Is she coming to?" Genis asked, stumbling to his hands and knees from the place Lloyd had shoved him to in his effort to be close to his best friend in her time of need. Funny enough, Genis didn't seem to be taking the action personally.

". . . Yea, maybe, I hope so." Lloyd said in a thoroughly impatient tone, inching his face closer to Colette's to be sure of what was happening, "Colette. . . ?"

Suddenly blurry blue irises were blinking rapidly at the clear amber pair above her.

"Ll. . . Lloyd; it's you. . . What happened? W - where. . ." She cautiously turned her head and stared at her surroundings. The woods, the watering hole, the sunset and the grass she was laying on currently. . . A sudden gust of wind blew and cascaded over her damp body, causing her to tremble despite how hot it had been all day, ". . . Oh."

"Colette? You're better now, right?" Her best friend asked, placing a hand to her back and helping her sit up. She turned to face him and smiled _that _smile and he just knew what was coming.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm sorry," she said, trying to stretch out her feet so that her toes wiggled before she was satisfied. "Uh, my head hurts. It feels like something heavy is sitting in there. . ." She put a hand to her temple and massaged.

". . . Maybe we should stay here for a few more minutes and let you have another chance to recover. Genis? Can you grab our clothes and bring them. . ." Lloyd looked up to make sure his friend had heard him, only to see the elf already walking towards the two teenagers with his arms full, ". . . Thanks."

"Yeah, sure, no problem. Just don't get used to it." The youngest of the group grinned and dumped everything to the floor. Lloyd quickly scrambled around, picking up things, but nothing he was separating seemed to belong to him. "Uh, you know Lloyd, pink really isn't your. . . oh." Genis watched as Lloyd picked up Colette's skirt and laid it over her legs, then placed her sleeved shirt around her shoulders, imitating a shawl. He seemed single-mindedly contemplative as he did so, one thought somehow devouring his mind space.

"I don't think we should stay here anymore."

Colette looked up apologetically to her best friend at these words but Lloyd couldn't seem to catch her eye. Genis threw his clothes on as fast as possible and ran around the other side of the area to where he'd dropped his kendama.

"Colette, can you walk?" Lloyd asked as he slipped his own shirt over his shoulders.

Colette, noting the fact that her headache wasn't receding, denied the fact that she almost couldn't see straight. There was a distinctly uncomfortable tingle set in her limbs that she couldn't shake. Nevertheless, she bounced forward to her knees and tried to give it a go anyway.

She didn't get very far, unfortunately, and Lloyd sighed exasperatedly.

". . . Guess not. I'm sorry." She said as he knelt down beside her.

"Don't apologize, you dork! It's. . . okay; you shouldn't be pushing yourself so much after what just happened anyway. But. . . you're alright; don't worry about a thing. I'll just carry you. It can't be that hard. You're a girl, and girls never way that much." He said nonchalantly as he helped her fully replace her clothes. Genis was marching back towards them just as Colette was putting her arms around his shoulders and Lloyd was easing her legs around his elbow joints and between his hips.

"Genis, you'll have to carry Colette's bag, okay? And my swords. Colette can't stand yet and with her on my back, I don't have a place to put them." The young genius nodded, probably already having formed that conclusion, and picked up the items aforementioned from the ground.

". . . I'm sorry, Lloyd. It's my fault 'cause I couldn't stay above the water, and now. . ."

". . . Colette, c'mon! Didn't I say you should stop apologizing for things you can't keep from happening? Those types of things can't be your fault if you think about it right, so you shouldn't say sorry because it's not fair to yourself." He heaved himself to his feet, noting that there was definitely no 'light as a feather' likeness in his best friend. She wasn't abysmally heavy, overweight, or anything of the sort, but he could tell there was going to be no effortless handling with one arm and fighting with the other. Luckily, Colette didn't notice the expression crossing his face when he thought this.

Genis went first, acting the lookout for all of them so Lloyd didn't have to. The elf, however, was not yet able to propel his magic at the enemy, so if it just so happened that his hovering fireball didn't scare off the wolves or birds that threatened them, Lloyd would have to sit Colette down and take up his double-blades.

By the time they were approaching the outskirts of Iselia forest, Colette had fallen asleep, her even breath falling against Lloyd's cheek. For some reason, something that seemed so drawl was actually quite a distraction and Lloyd - for the life of him - just couldn't figure out why. The only thing that was able to pry his attention away was Genis' sudden yelp.

"Lloyd. . . ! You have to. . . ! I'm sorry, I tried but they just won't leave. . ." The elf cried, stepping cautiously backwards as he tried unsuccessfully to lure the monsters advancing on him away with his magic.

Lloyd took a moment to glance around and realized they were surrounded. . . It was probably a bad idea to try and scare all of the creatures away with a stabilized firelight. Obviously it only added to their curiosity as the children traveled through the evening.

He sat Colette down as softly as possible and silently reached for his blades. He nodded at Genis, who took the hint and ran to protect their blond friend from anything he could.

There was just enough sunlight left to see, but it would probably only last thirty minutes, tops. Just as something bejeweled glinted from his left hand, a wolf pounced.

He crossed his swords overtop one another and grunted as his heels dug into the dirt. He then managed to shove the wolf away before taking the recoil as an opportunity to strike. He made contact with the snout, and the minor injury was enough to make the monster run. A demonic hare and a crow followed next, both at the same time and from opposite directions.

Lloyd separate his blades from one another and thrust one at each of the creatures. The hare stopped and stared at the weapon held to its face, but the crow latched onto the blade it was faring against to try and peel it from his hands. In an effort to keep holding on, Lloyd swung his other wooden sword upward desperately. . . and it worked. That was, until the hare took this sudden opening as a chance to strike. Lloyd's knees buckled from the impact and he came face-to-face with another wolf. . . and this one looked hungry, as was shown by its wide open mouth and the saliva dripping from its fangs.

Lloyd watched in slow motion as the great beast leapt straight for his shoulder. He yanked one of his blades up from the ground (he'd been using it to support himself) and ferociously jabbed it into the wolf's mouth, all the way through to the throat. Blood suddenly replaced the boy's view of what had been there before and the creature yelped and ran away.

As Lloyd turned to face the hare that had assaulted him, he felt something hot - some sensation that burned from within him but didn't seem to hurt - start to build up. He struck the hare at its feet, hearing something crack and leaving it before turning to face the first crow that had been trying to peck away at the strange jewel implanted in his left palm. He took both blades and made contact with its head, sending him straight to the forest floor.

Demonic red eyes still seemed to be blinking at him no matter which way he turned but nothing moved. And then, from about ten meters behind him, he heard a shout.

". . . Fireball!" Genis gasped after a few minutes of concentration. The small, round, flaming orb just sat floating there on top of his kendama even though he still seemed to be trying to thrust it at the hare approaching him. Colette stirred from behind the elf; his shout had woken her up.

"Nn. . . What's. . . going on?" She murmured, still half-asleep.

However, the crow that had suddenly started chewing on her vibrant golden locks seemed to finish waking her up well enough. "Oh no, Lloyd!" She ripped herself away from the beast and shakily reached her feet.

"Colette! Genis!" Lloyd yelled, ignoring the possibility that turning his back to face his friends would give any one of the many monsters lurking in the foliage a chance to attack. He ran for the two of them, whipping his swords through the suddenly crisp air and whacking the hare that had been launching itself at Genis so hard that it was sent sailing straight into the trunk of a tree.

That burning feeling he couldn't decipher seemed to settle into his wrist as a sudden strength soared throughout his blades. He barely recognized Colette calling his name as he jumped straight past her (not noticing her suddenly dig her hands in the bag she'd carried with her, full of things none of them had even bothered to use). Lloyd made contact with the crows right wing, sending it to the ground and - not knowing how or why - as he fell, too, landing on his feet quite expertly, his other blade swung downward, digging into the ground (which didn't seem too difficult an accomplishment), and sending a chilly blue-silver energy towards the injured bird.

Colette suddenly whipped out a single chakram and threw it swiftly like a discus towards a hornet that had been trying to dive at Lloyd with its poison. She successfully sliced off its wings and it fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, leaving her weapon to soar higher and further into the air.

Genis wasn't paying too close attention since he was trying once again to cast his fireball spell. A sudden ruby glow enveloped the area a foot around him in all directions and five orbs of firelight burst forth out of nowhere, impaling the evening sky straight above him. The shocking multiple lights were enough to send any and all beasts fleeing in terror.

It was over instantaneously.

Colette collapsed to her knees and sighed. She felt lucky to still be able to see straight. Nevertheless, she was proud - both of her friends and herself.

"Colette!" Genis shouted, turning to face her.

"Are you okay?" Lloyd asked, equally as panicked and running just as fast (if not faster) than the elf to see her up close and personal.

". . . Yeah, but. . . I think I'm going to need a new one. . ." She pointed up towards the higher meters of an oak tree and her friends both took notice of the round disc jammed into the bottom of a branch. "I've been practicing, but. . . I haven't mastered the return yet."

"Heh; anyway, sorry Colette. I don't think even Genis or I could get that back. . ." Lloyd replied sheepishly, returning his blades to their leather sheaths.

"Hm; maybe you should learn to carry two of them until you get the hang of it more," Genis commented, "That way you'll always have a back-up. . . So, who's been teaching you?"

"Well, it's not hands-on training, but Grandma Phaidra has been coaching me whenever she's had some free time. She says that when the time comes, I'm going to have to know how to defend myself. You know, I'm going to be leaving the village in a few years, to try and save the world. . . !" Colette stated confidently.

Lloyd suddenly remembered the first time Colette had told him how she felt about that responsibility.

_"The world deserves to be safe for everyone." _She had said, _"That I can be the one to do it. . . It makes all the dangers of the Journey of Regeneration worthwhile."_

The words had stung him in a way that Lloyd hadn't been able to recognize. It wasn't that Colette would be leaving him and Genis one day to do this, but more so the fact that she'd be leaving to sacrifice her freedom for everyone else - people who very well may _not_ deserve it. And she seemed perfectly okay with that. It was just another thing that made him feel like he had to work that much harder to keep her safe now.

"So. . . you're okay? From earlier, I mean." He asked, and she nodded with a grin.

"Yea, I think so! Thanks for saving me back there, Lloyd."

"Oh. . . uh. . . actually, Colette. . ." He felt that weird helplessness again. He had hoped she wouldn't bring it up, even if only to thank him. After all, it was killing him just a little inside. It wasn't something he could accept. And there was maybe only one other thing that made it that much worse. That thing was. . .

"Genis saved you."

He wasn't sure if Colette was more shocked, curious, or impressed.

"Really? How?"

"He did something. . . uh. . ."

"It's called CPR." Genis interrupted, joining the conversation. Colette and Lloyd stared blankly at him in a way that said he should continue. "It's a resuscitation technique my sister taught me. When a person stops breathing, you place your hands over their heart a certain way and repeat compressions three times. Then, once you've done that, you open their mouth and. . . breath for them."

"Oh; uh, how do you do that?" Colette innocently inquired.

"You place your lips to theirs and exhale carbon monoxide into their mouth. If it's done right, the lungs will begin to intake what you give them and start breathing on their own." Genis ended scientifically.

Lloyd listened as closely as he could despite the conversation boring him at this point. Really, the only thing that had gotten through to him was nothing about the situation in particular. After all, he'd seen it firsthand already.

". . . So, the Professor taught you that, Genis? It's weird, though, isn't it? She's never wanted to come with us - even today when Colette did - when we've gone swimming."

"Yea, for some reason, this is the only thing to do with water that she's ever associated with. Other than bathing." The elf shrugged, choosing not to dwell on it.

"So. . ." The voice came out of nowhere, and the two boys remembered just who they'd been explaining this all to. "You kissed me?" It was, again, a totally innocent question to be asked, but Genis and Lloyd just weren't sure how to react. After all, when you looked at everything in _that _light. . .

"No! No, no, no - Colette, you're not understanding it right!"

"Yeah! I mean, Genis kissing you? I don't think that time would ever come!"

Confusion happened to mingle within the soup tense with irritation.

"But. . . you said our lips touched, right?"

"Yeah, but only so I could, you know, get you to start _breathing_." Colette was staring blankly at him and he sighed, not knowing what else to say to make it any clearer than he'd already tried to.

The blond girl continued to kneel there on the ground, a vision of all Genis had told her flipping through her head like a picture book. She had never imagined a time when she and the elf would be kissing. It just seemed too. . . unnatural an occurrence if nothing else. Why that was so _did_ deter her for a moment as she tried to decipher an explanation out of her feelings. It seemed like a fruitless journey with no destination. . . until she looked at Lloyd. Whereas a minute or so before he'd been working alongside Genis to try and make her see what was going on, now his expression was back to looking. . . Actually, she couldn't really say what that face was.

Upset or angry or aggravated; none of them seemed to fit entirely on their own. . . But if they were added together. . .

"Hey, Lloyd, we should be going, don't you think? It's after nightfall now and something tells me my sister wouldn't mind having all our heads on a platter. By now, the mayor will have realized none of us have been around all day and he already knew what we'd been wanting to do. . ." Genis sighed, not looking forward to his return home and momentarily forgetting that the older boy lived in the opposite direction, "Or is Dirk expecting you? Because, if so, I'm sure that Colette and I can manage from here on out." He finished, most likely very pleased at the fact that his magic's potential had now been fully unlocked.

"Nah; it's okay. I don't think my dad will be done working yet anyway. I'll just come with you; it wouldn't be fair if I didn't face the Professor's wrath along with you two. She'd probably come after me personally by the end of tonight if I tried." He joked and then glanced down at Colette who was still kneeling on the ground, "Are you alright on your own now, Colette? Or did you still want my help?"

"Um. . ." It almost seemed like she was contemplating it before suddenly leaping to her feet and shaking her head. "No, I think I'm better now! Don't worry!" She picked up the bag she hadn't been able to carry before and began walking after Genis, avoiding any further discussion with her best friend.

Lloyd watched her run off and, for some reason, couldn't help feeling worse than he had been. She was okay now, she was healthy and she was walking and she'd been able to take care of herself in battle, but. . . she had still been hurt before and he had still failed her.

"Lloyd, Lloyd! C'mon! Genis found the pathway back to Iselia!" Colette giggled as he ran back towards him and grabbed his hand, pulling him after her this time.

A small grin lit up his face at the contact. And he knew more than anything that he would make it up to her.

OoO

**Notes **- Okay, I lied to you all. I didn't think I could pull off the fic this well, but I guess it's possible, and while I could have worked that last line above into a nice finale, I had something else planned originally, so I'm going to go with that. What I had originally, I mean. Heh. So. . . okay! I'm done! Reviews make the world - or at least _my _world - a better place!

Also, this is my point of view on how Lloyd would learn "Demon Fang," Genis would finally master his first magic spell, and Colette would let it show that she'd been learning how to take care of herself. Yeah. I might have forgotten to mention that before. Still, that whole battle scene was more a last minute-thing than anything else. . .


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer **- Most unfortunately, Tales of Symphonia does not belong to me. Let it be known that if it did, Colloyd would have happened (would have happened _clearly_, I should say) and Sheena would have maintained a somewhat-too-obvious appreciation for handsome, redheaded, hero-worshipped playboys. Or at least one in particular.

**Author **- Chibi

**Notes **- Oh, I should start off by saying that this fic isn't really AU, but it does take place years before the game play starts (in which I've heard Lloyd is seventeen, Colette is sixteen, and Genis is twelve years old). I'm trying to mold this into a prelude to a certain side-quest of the game, and if you can figure out what that side-quest is, you get a really big cookie in the flavor of your choice! Lol.

Please read and review honestly, but not too harshly.

OoO

Characters / Ages

Lloyd / 13

Colette / 12

Genis / 8

OoO

**Title **- "Just Imagine" (- Part Three)

**Summary **- Lloyd had never imagined a time when he wouldn't be able to protect Colette. Colette had never imagined a time when she and Genis would be kissing. Colloyd. Ish.

**Dedication **- Heh; to Silvie-chan! Because I brainwashed you into buying ToS and supporting Colloyd, too (though it wasn't that hard). And it's all worth it to have someone to talk to about it. Lol.

OoO

The rest of the journey back to the village was a quiet, peaceful one. Lloyd could now say that he understood Colette and her position as the Chosen just a bit better. She was doing it for people who didn't deserve to fear for their lives when walking between cities or traveling across the sea for importing, exporting, or tourist purposes. She was someone who approved of a happy environment, something enriching for everyone to have a part in. And Lloyd thought maybe it was more than just that.

Colette was an honest-to-Martel good person, but she was also very. . . er. . . glass-footed. She spent a lot of her time caring about other people and not nearly enough caring about herself. She wouldn't let anyone worry about her and, instead, chose only to worry about others - even when she'd been in a near-death experience.

She was just that kind of person, and Lloyd wondered now how that might have effected her gaining her special position. Was she a good person because she was the Chosen, or was she the Chosen because she was a good person? Did the whole process, this journey, have anything to do with the person Colette was becoming?

". . . No; no way. . ." He murmured. The three kids were walking towards the front gate now.

"Lloyd, what is it?" Colette asked innocently, glancing curiously in his direction.

"Oh, nothing, really. . . I just didn't think we'd reach town so fast is all."

"Yeah, time really flies when you're enjoying yourself. At least, that's what I've heard all these years. . . and now I can say it's true, I think!"

Lloyd didn't take Colette's comment to heart. He knew what she meant.

"Uh. . . yeah," Lloyd wasn't even thinking about it when he continued his statement, but he sighed and gulped and suddenly the words had flown from his mouth. "You're the best person I know, and you should always be the way you are now because it's. . . just who you are. I thought you should know that." He wasn't even looking at her as he said it, but he knew she must have heard.

". . . Thanks, Lloyd; you're the best person I know, too, okay?" She said and he was sure she had one of her brightest smiles on.

The closer they got to the village gate the louder the voices got until the three children finally realized that they were hearing their own names being called by the inhabitants of their hometown.

"Why do you think they're looking for us?" Lloyd whispered to Genis, suddenly unsure of whether or not he wanted to be seen by the people seeking him out.

"Gee, Lloyd, maybe it's 'cause of the fact that we ran off to swim even though we weren't supposed to go anywhere?"

"But. . . I thought the Professor would take care of that." He admitted sheepishly, and Genis scoffed.

"She could pretend she didn't know anything but, when it comes down to it, she can't lie to the Mayor, especially not all day." He replied, shrugging. "We're lucky, though; they didn't chase us down to where we were. . . Maybe my sister didn't tell them anything. . ." He finished in wonder.

Lloyd grinned; it was good that, while the Professor wouldn't lie, she was privy to not telling the complete truth, either - and especially when it benefited him and his friends.

"C'mon, guys; we'd better get back. Before they do try and chase us down. . ." He sighed, but with a glimmer of acceptence towards his fate. He turned and offered a hand to Colette and she smiled at him, too, before both headed back.

When the guards at the villiage gates noticed the shadows appearing in the dimming firelight of the flames lighting the Iselia border, they grew curious, and wary. But when those shadows were finally recognized as those belonging to Lloyd, Colette, and Genis - especially Colette, though - they were not the only ones to run out onto the path to greet - and scold - the three of them.

Indeed, half of the town seemed to immediately gather around them, and Lloyd suddenly felt a bit suffocated. He had liked it much better when it was just him and his friends, enjoying themselves as earnestly as they could.

"Where have you been? Colette, you know you're supposed to stay in the village at all times, unless you're given explicit permission to visit Dirk's house." The Mayor shouted in a tone that demanded both respect, and an explanation.

"I'm sorry, sir. I. . . we. . ."

"Me, too, Mayor. We just needed to cool down from the weather, and. . . well. . . I didn't think it was fair that we _all _couldn't go and have some fun. So it was my fault." Lloyd cleared his throat, trying to avoid staring too much at the Professor, who he noticed standing about three people away from him. He wanted to avoid her getting questioned any further than was necessary, because it wouldn't be a good thing if one of the most responsible adults of Iselia were to be discovered as a liar, let alone one who disobeyed the law of the Priests of the Chosen.

"I'm sure it was," the man scoffed worse than Genis had a few minutes ago, crossing his arms. "No offense, Lloyd Irving, but you've never been the best example of how to follow the rules, have you?"

"Hey, that's not fair! It's not like I tried to stop him!" Genis said in defense of his best friend. Lloyd suddenly thought that the elf's shadow, flickering in and out and changing shape rapidly as he jumped forward and raised his voice, was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Yes, well. . . I know you well enough, Mr. Sage, to acknowledge you as someone who listens to what he's told. But Mr. Irving here never minds finding a loophole, a way out."

"Look, Mayor, they all came back safely, right? So there's really no harm done, is there?" Professor Raine suddenly spoke up, but her words were unheeded.

"Professor Sage, you may be a respectable member of this town, and your brother our greatest over-achiever, but you need to know your place. It doesn't matter that they came back safely when we all think about what _could _have happened, right?" He was glancing in the direction of the  general audience now, as though asking for agreement. "Do not forget just how much Colette means to this village, let alone the world of Sylvarant in a whole. And what she took part in today. . ." He broke off, and had already immediately convinced more than half of the people there.

"Those rules are set for a reason, aren't they?" One person happened to ask another, and there was a nod in response.

"And Colette's not a very disobedient child, either; so it can't be her fault, at all. . ."

"She knows her responsibilites, so we could trust her. But. . . _him_. . . ? He's not even a true member of this village. . . !" The mutterings were becoming collective and, quite honestly, Lloyd wasn't sure how much more negativity he could stand being directed at him before he lashed back out at the people before him in his own defense.

Luckily, someone got there first.

"That's not true!" Colette yelled out, stepping up for the first time and stomping her foot in a way that suggested she was trying to make a point. "Lloyd and Genis are my friends and. . . and I wanted to go, too! They didn't trick me into leaving, and they didn't force me! And they didn't leave me alone the whole time! They made sure I was okay no matter where we were!" Her defiant tone softened, but still remained serious, "It's not right that they get blamed or punished unless. . . I do, too. And stop saying it's all Lloyd's fault! He's my best friend and he means a lot to me; he doesn't deserve it!"

The many voices that had been speaking distressedly against the double-blade-wielding boy finally simmered down and then disappeared all-together. Even the Mayor, while still the most influential person in town, didn't think he would have had much luck standing up against the Chosen, no matter how young she may have been. Her will, after all, decided the fate of the whole world, right?

"Why, yes, but. . ." He sputtered, not exactly keen at being overrun by a twelve year old girl. "I'm sorry, but I still say some action needs to be taken. . . _However_. . ." And here he turned to Professor Raine and nodded his head in her direction, "I daresay that I don't know how to handle it best. I don't know Dirk Irving's rule of consequence, and Genis is not my child to handle, nor is Colette. Therefore, I don't think I should be the one to lay out the punishment." A grin that was sickly enough to suggest he loved quite dearly not having to be someone else flitted across his elderly face, flickering creepily in the firelight. "Professor Sage and Mr. Brunel know you all far better, and should be able to take control of you." He grunted under his breath as the two adults he had addressed nodded silently at him and then turned back to re-enter the village.

Everyone else followed swiftly, the three children lining up behind the Professor and Colette's father, who remained silent until they'd entered the pathway heading towards the Sage home.

Colette seemed to be paying close attention to the fireflies floating on and off along the vines of ivy hanging from the walls next to the front door as they all entered, a vibrant hue colorinng her cheeks in the light barely glimmering around them. For whatever reason, Lloyd felt it only fair to respond to the expression on her face, and so his cheeks automatically glowed as well.

"You three really pressed your luck today, didn't you?" Raine asked them all, and Lloyd was wondering how to answer to the underlying tone before he realized that she had breathed a sigh of relief. "I didn't know how much longer we were going to be able to hold them off; we're just lucky the Mayor left it up to us to figure out what to do with you."

"Us?" Lloyd asked, and Genis' eyes widened, the elf turning to stare up at the man walking behind them all, single-file.

"You knew, too!"

"Of course he did," Raine admonished, but her expression was still calm. "You can't have really thought you would all be able to trample through his front door, screaming about changing clothes and Colette coming out wearing her bathing suit and a pair of shorts, and have him not notice, did you?"

Frank grinned at his daughter, leaning down and pulled her close, whispering in her ear.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"Thank you, father!" She smiled up at him and Lloyd finally realized how close the two were. Just like a man and his only child.

They all sat at the small dining room table in the equally as small home and Raine started speaking again.

"You three really pushed it tonight. I mean, didn't you consider what we were jeopardizing when you all walked out of the village?" The three children stared up at her blankly and she sighed exasperatedly. "I didn't think so. . ."

"But, sis. . . ! Even I didn't think about it, so it's not anything that was on the top of our minds. . ." Genis excused them all.

"Even so, what I did for you all was a favor, and I'd have hoped you'd all return it by thinking more about the consequences of being out so late with the one person who will one day save us all from the Desians." She crossed her arms, her tone sharp, before she shut her eyes, breathed deep, and shook her head.

"But I guess. . . I never brought it up with you either. And you all are just lucky nothing happened while you were gone. The Mayor has no true justification to back up his hopes for punishment if you all went and returned with no harm done."

All three children seemed to stare at one another for just a moment, but Professor Raine and Mr. Brunel hadn't noticed.

"Because of this, I see no reason to actually punish you, especially seeing as I'm the one who permitted you access to the forest anyway. Next time, however. . . we must be more cautious."

It was the end of the lecture, it seemed, as they were finally allowed to get up from their seats and walk out of the house. Raine told them to at least look as though they'd been told off, though it was a bit hard to look at the Mayor as Lloyd ran for the pathway leading towards his own house, and not laugh at how he'd gotten off easy when the man had been hoping for something to happen. Genis stopped at the gate alongside Lloyd and Colette and the others and wished his best friend a farewell.

"You don't need me to come, right? You're good to go on your own?" The elf said and Lloyd nodded in response.

"Yeah, you guys go home, and be happy that the Professor didn't do or say worse to us." He gave a small laugh under his breath, his whisper almost being cut off before having been finished.

"Hm, but I think she only says those things because she cares about us. It's kind of nice to know that so many people feel that way for you, doesn't it?" And Colette turned to stare at her father and Raine for a few seconds before facing her best friends again.

". . . Yeah, maybe you're right Colette. Anyway, goodnight guys, and--" This time he was cut off, though it wasn't from a laugh or someone else's words. . .

. . . Colette had kissed him on the cheek. And when she pulled away and he continued to stare at her as though seeing her for the first time, she giggled nervously but didn't look as though she regretted it too much.

". . . I'm sorry. It was just, earlier. . . you looked like you were left out. I thought that would make it better."

"C - Colette. . ." He was caught halfway between utter embarrassment (Genis was right beside him, trying his hardest not to laugh, and the Professor and Frank were standing back patiently and smiling in a strange way) and flattery. But had he really looked earlier like he wanted a kiss, too? It was news to him as much as the rest of them.

"I'm sorry! Oh, I guess it was a bad idea. . . but I won't do it again because you don't want me to. I just wanted you to go back to how you were before what happened tonight."

"N - no, no. . . it's okay I guess. I mean, yeah, but it was just a shock so. . . Uh, th - thanks, Colette. And you don't have to apologize about it, okay?" He sighed exasperatedly, his personal feelings towards the gesture she'd just made towards him finally dispersing.

"O - oh, right, don't apologize. . . sorry, Lloyd. Oh, wait! Sorry I said sorry. . ." She fumbled a few times and he could only sigh again. That was just how Colette was, and it was going to be a lot harder to change that than to simply tell her that certain things she said and did weren't necessary.

"It's okay. I'm gonna go now, though. I'll see you guys later, okay?"

"Okay; goodnight!" And Colette turned back towards her father, a red tinge to her cheeks.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow in class!" And Genis, too, ran to his sister's side.

"Right. . . class. . ." Raine spoke up for the first time in ten minutes. "Lloyd, be sure to do that homework I assigned a couple days ago! It's due tomorrow and I'm tired of your excuses, alright?" She finished in a shout, because he was already zipping towards the Iselia woods in the direction of his home, acting as though he couldn't hear her.

He raised a hand up into the air, even with his back turned, as though to give a final farewell, and something dawned on Colette's face as the Professor gave up and she and Genis began walking in the opposite direction of the rest of them.

"Oh, wait! Thanks, Lloyd, for helping to save my life tonight!" Lloyd halted right there in his fifty meter dash, afraid to even turn around. "And you too, Genis; I owe you two a lot, don't I?" But Genis was shaking his head rapidly as though telling her to stop speaking and she didn't understand.

"Why are you looking like that? What's wrong?"

". . . _What _happened that you haven't told us?" Raine asked with a tight-lipped smile, her grip on her younger sibling's shoulder tightening as she did so. Genis himself felt the world grow a lot smaller as he sensed the waves from his sister's rage.

And even now Colette didn't seem to understand what she'd said that was wrong.

So the Professor chased Lloyd down before he could make it back home (actually, before he could even make it into the woods) and pulled him towards the village, holding him by the scruff of his neck the entire time. There, she forced all three of them back to her house and really told them off so that afterwards, Lloyd wasn't faking in the slightest the gaunt and deathly expression on his face after she had finished.

It was reported to Dirk what had happened and he was given a beating. Genis was almost limping as he walked into class the next day, saying something about how books were no longer his friends and mentioning how he had been grounded for a few months, and Colette wasn't seen for almost a week.

Lloyd was upset that the elf seemed to have been hurt (although he could have been the one to tell him that books had never been friends of anyone), but he was more-so scared when he realized it had been a long while since he'd seen his other friend. What had happened? The Church of Martel now knew what had transpired at the watering hole, so where was Colette? Had the priests done something? Where was she this entire time?

He had asked Raine a few times but all she'd done was say that Colette was being kept busy with her Chosen duties and that she'd be back soon. She never really looked him in the eye.

And yet, not until almost half a month later did Colette finally show up again, looking tired, but otherwise okay.

"I'm sorry you had to worry, guys. Grandma Phaidra was upset about what happened at the lake awhile ago and she pulled me from school to refine my angelic language and my physical training. I'm pretty good with those chakrams now!" She giggled, but it was half-hearted. ". . . It's my fault. . . I'm sorry. Are you two okay?"

Both of the boys had been covered in bruises for the first week back in class, but had recovered all the while and now looked healthy. Knowing Colette would take their injuries to heart, they chanced a glance at one another and brushed it off, acting as though nothing had been done to them at all.

"I see; well, I'm really happy for you, then!" And her smile was a little stronger this time. She glanced around the class wistfully before her eyes landed on her seat in the middle of the room. "I missed this place; I'm glad things didn't change while I was gone. They won't, will they?" She asked, turning to look at her friends as though they would know the answer.

"Um. . ." Lloyd tried to sound as confident as any hero might, and he tried to sound like Mithos. "Of course not, Colette! I'll make sure that things are always the same here, so that it's something you can come back to and believe in when you're done whatever you need to do to save the world!" He clenched a fist, suddenly believing his own riot.

". . . Thanks, Lloyd. I'm sorry if it's a bother. I'm going to miss you guys, though. I can only be here for today."

"Huh? Why? The day of Prophecy hasn't come yet, has it?" Genis asked, and he seemed to be trying to remember the thousands of notes and facts stored in his head, hoping to find the one that would remind him when that day actually was.

"No, no; not yet. . . but the priests want me to train more, to get stronger and to learn more about my heretage and my journey. It's not now, but before we know it, it'll be here. And I have to be ready. That's what they say. Sorry." She said, bowing slightly.

". . . Oh. That's what's going on." Suddenly, Lloyd's world seemed smaller, too. He didn't know what else to say, but somehow felt it might be his turn to apologize to her. It just seemed to be the case, more than anything. "So how often will you be missing class then?"

"Um. . ." Colette was unsure as her index finger trailed her chin in thought, "maybe two weeks at a time? The priests and grandma can't help it; they say I need to be strong and quick-witted. . . though I'm not sure what they mean. They're afraid for me because the last Chosen failed during their journey and I've already shown that I need help to regenerate the world. But I'll make sure they let me come back a few times to see you guys in class, and I'll train  as hard as possible so that - maybe - they'll say I'm strong enough and let me rejoin class permanently!" After reaching this exclamation, her tone suddenly dropped a few notches and became more modest, "I - I mean, if that's okay."

"What are you saying?" Genis asked incredulously.

"Yeah, Colette; of course it's okay!" Lloyd continued. As he finished his statement, Professor Raine happened to enter the classroom and they were forced to put their discussion on hold. She glanced at her three pupils warily as she walked up to her desk, signaling they should take their seats as well, but not before Lloyd added one more thing to his statement.

"Make us proud, Colette!"

She nodded with a bright smile and they all turned away, Genis approaching the front and Lloyd heading to the back. The blond Chosen walked two desks over and sat straight in the center of the room. It was enough of a distance so that she didn't hear her best friend's final words, a mutter under his breath.

". . . And I swear that I'll make you proud, too."

OoO

**Notes **- WooT! It's finished! And I managed to steal my best friend's used-to-be-catch-phrase for my notes! HAH! Anyway, I'm so happy this is done. I hope that the ending of this chapter helped everyone to assume that what happened to Colette the one time she was able to escape Iselia is the reason she had no freedom afterwards (basically how it was told in the game). In case no one's figured it out, the **side-quest **I used to reference to this entire thing was the Altameria one, where you **find the four children and earn a day at the beach**. Come to think of it, I played that part of the game again recently and it sounds like Colette never even got out of Iselia once, so I guess the plot here is moot. Unless you like it anyway. That makes it all worthwhile for me. Yay!

Anyway, I have an idea for another, kind of more serious, fic. . . but I don't know if I can make it work. I could turn it into a drabble about Colloyd from Cruxis' point of view, or I can weave it a little longer so that Lloyd and Colette will wonder about their identities and relationship with one another. Hm, which one sounds the most appealing? If you want, you can let me know in your reviews!


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